Clemson student research finds risk in beer pong

The most dangerous part of playing beer pong might not be drinking too much beer.

A group of Clemson University students tested pingpong balls used in games across campus one weekend last fall and discovered teeming bacteria.

In most versions of the game, players toss balls into glasses of beer, then chug the brews.

The research found that dangerous bacteria such as salmonella, listeria, E. coli and staph end up in the beer.

The research is part of Clemson's Creative Inquiry program, in which students pose common-sense scientific questions and plan research to find answers. Previous classes have debunked the five-second rule that food is safe to eat as long as it is quickly picked up after hitting the floor and shown that double-dipping chips can pose a health hazard.

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